


Hot and Bothered

by TiffanyF



Category: CSI: Miami, CSI: NY
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-03
Updated: 2013-02-02
Packaged: 2017-11-28 00:11:08
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,125
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/668061
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TiffanyF/pseuds/TiffanyF
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Flack is worried about Danny and goes looking for him. There are times even homicide detectives can be shocked. Danny/Don. Horatio/Mac. ***Possible spoilers for Season 1 Tanglewood.***</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

“Hey Stella, you seen Danny around?” Don asked as he sauntered into the layout room.

“Yeah, he and Mac were arguing about something and Danny said he needed to cool off,” Stella replied. “He’s in the showers.”

The lanky homicide detective grinned. “Thanks.”

“You’re welcome but don’t tell Mac,” Stella said. “Because if you ask me he’s the one that needs to cool off; he was way out of line this time and I think Mac knows I’m looking to chew him out because he’s hiding in his office.”

“Stella his office has glass walls,” Flack pointed out as he turned to leave.

“Yeah and I’m in the middle of an important test,” Stella called after him.

In truth Flack was worried about his best friend. Danny hadn’t been himself of late, was denying that anything was wrong, and brushing off all of Flack’s attempts to help. He closed the door to the showers quietly; the soft patter of water on tile telling him that Danny was still there and made his way along the short hall coming to a sudden stop when he saw Danny.

The older man was leaning against the wall of the shower stall, water dripping down his toned chest, expressive blue puppy dog eyes closed, his head tilted back and his right hand wrapped around his thick, leaking erection. Don bit his lip to hold back the moan that was trying to escape his throat and let the wall behind him take his weight; his legs going weak at the sight in front of him.

“Danny,” Don finally managed to say.

Messer’s eyes flew open. “Jesus, Flack; can’t a guy take a shower in peace around here?” he demanded. “What the hell do you want now?”

“I wanted to make sure you were okay after that scene we pulled this morning,” Don said as he started to strip off his suit. He knew Danny didn’t see well without his glasses and wanted his friend to know exactly how turned on he was by the sight of Danny aroused, naked and wet.

“Yeah, you know what I’m just peachy,” Danny said, the sarcasm making his accent thicker. “I spend all morning trying to figure out what kind of monster rapes, murders and dumps a little girl in the Bronx and get back to the lab only to get Mac in my face over a case we closed a week ago. When I tell him I need to do my job and start processing the evidence from my current case he gets all high and mighty on me and reassigns it to Stella so I can fix my mistakes from last week.”

Don joined Danny under the spray and pulled his friend in for a hug. The men moaned as their erections came into contact. “I’m sorry, Danny,” he said softly. “What case did he want looked at?”

“That robbery the suspect confessed to before we even had time to load the surveillance tapes into our systems,” Danny sighed pushing in tighter to Don. “I screwed up, Donnie.”

“How could you screw up an airtight case like that?” Don asked.

“Not that, I’m talking about that case you guys worked on Tanglewood and Sonny,” Danny sighed. He was a little shocked at the turn of events but wasn’t going to pass on the physical comfort if Don offered. “I was listening to the final interrogation and that rat bastard dropped my name. Mac’s been treating me like shit ever since.”

“Has he talked to you about it?” Don asked stilling their hips.

“Are we gonna stand here and talk or are we gonna have some physical action?”

“Not at work, Dan,” Don said softly. “I want to make you scream my name and that ain’t a good idea here.”

“So why’d you strip off and get in here with me then?”

“Because I wanted you to feel how much I want you,” Don replied. He sighed, leaned in to kiss Danny’s neck softly and wrapped a hand around his erection and stroked him firmly. Danny moaned, arched against Don and came biting his lip. Don kissed him gently. “Come on, let’s dry off and talk.”

“Promise me more sex to get me to talk; that’s low, Flack.”

“It works.” Don tossed Danny a towel and wrapped another around his own lean waist. “Now answer the question, Messer.”

“No he ain’t talked to me about nothing unless it’s to criticize me or yell,” Danny admitted as he sank onto the bench. “And it hurts Donnie; I’ve been Mac’s student for so long, he was finally starting to open up and trust me. But I guess I was just imagining things because he sure don’t trust me no more.”

Don ran his hand over Danny’s smooth back. “What, he thinks you got artwork back here you ain’t talking ‘bout?” Don asked. “No way in hell Mac’s that stupid.”

“That’s just it, Don, you didn’t see his face after Sonny dropped my name,” Danny said. He buried his face in his hands. “I down played my involvement a little but everything Sonny knows ‘bout me he learned from my family.”

“Danno, just what does Mac mean to you?” Don asked his hand never leaving his friend’s back.

Danny laughed bitterly. “I love him, Donnie,” he choked. “God I love him so much and to see the question, the disgust in his eyes is killing me. I guess I ain’t good enough for Mac Taylor.”

“Hey, don’t you ever say nothing like that again,” Don said sharply. He pulled Danny’s face up and kissed him hard. “It’s Mac who ain’t good enough for you; you got that? And if he’s stupid enough to trust scum like Sonny Sassone over one of his CSIs then he deserves to lose you.”

“I don’t know if I can go back out there and face him,” Danny said into the soft skin of Flack’s neck.

“You gotta, Danny,” Don said. “You gotta get dressed and prove you’re stronger than Mac. Then I’ll take you home and prove to you what a good man you really are.”

“Even though I’m in love with Mac?” Danny asked.

“Even then because you deserve love, Dan,” Don replied. “And I’ll tell you right now that I ain’t stupid.”

Mac’s POV

I watch Danny storm off down the hall pausing only to talk to Stella and wonder for a moment if he’s actually going to leave the lab. I was shocked at the look in his eyes when I ordered him to turn everything over to Stella; he hates me. Danny seems to think I’m a monster and I wouldn’t blame him if he did leave. Seeing so much pain in his normally bright eyes is tearing up my heart but its better this way. It’s better to distance myself from him in case something happens and I have to fire him. Hell, Sonny Sassone practically told me that Danny was a member of his gang. I’ve never seen Danny without a shirt of some sort to cover his back and he always wears layers no matter how hot it is. I know he has a tattoo on his upper right arm so it’s more than likely he has one on his back as well.

Don Flack’s exit from the trace labs caught my attention and I follow him silently through the halls towards the showers. Maybe Danny didn’t leave after all; maybe he’s just taking some time to regroup. I can hear water running and peek around the corner just in time to see Flack fall back against the wall, an erection pushing against his gray suit pants and I wonder what the hell Danny’s doing in the shower. You’d have to be blind to miss how attractive Danny and Don are but I didn’t think either of them were gay. I snarl at my body to keep it under control.

It’s my turn to bite my lip as Don strips and joins Danny in the shower. I can hear the bitterness and loathing in Danny’s words and wonder if he told me everything about his case that morning. From the sound of things he didn’t and I can’t help but wonder if I would have handled things differently if I had known. Danny feels things deeply and it’s becoming clear that I should have just fixed the robbery case paperwork myself instead of giving it back to Danny like I did.

I move quickly to avoid being seen when I hear the water shut off and watch as the two young men make their way to a bench and settle down. My breath caught in my throat when I saw Flack’s big hand run along Danny’s back. The unmarred skin mocks me and I realize exactly how badly I screwed up one of the best relationships, friendships, I’ve ever had. What kind of CSI am I if I believe a suspect without following the evidence and now it seems like I’ve destroyed Danny too. I can hear the pain and self-doubt in his voice and know it’s only there because of how I’ve been treating him.

Danny’s confession of love floors me and it’s all I can do not to give in to gravity and allow my knees to buckle. To know that beautiful young man loves me is almost too much to bear and I’ve lost it. I’ve lost any chance I might have had with Danny to Flack. And why not? If I can’t bring myself to trust Danny at work how can I even ask that he trust me enough to open to me on such a personal level. Don’s right, I am stupid and now I’m paying the price. I’ve lost my friend, my student and a potential lover and I don’t know what to say or do to make it right. I wait until I’m alone in the locker room and pull out my cell phone. I need advice and there’s only one man I trust to help me.


	2. Chapter 2

Danny changed into the clean suit he had in his locker, styled his hair and made his way to the evidence locker. He figured he’d start by looking at the surveillance tape again and download not only the pictures of their suspect but the important video clips as well. Then he’d go over the fingerprints, trace, and ballistics before rewriting his report and turning it back in.

“Hey Danny,” Stella said a few hours later when she finally found the young man in the trace lab. “Aiden and I are going out for dinner, you want to join us? It’s my treat.”

“No thanks, Stel,” Danny replied not looking up from the microscope. “I’ve still got fingerprints and bullets to run not to mention writing my report. I’ll take a rain check, yeah?”

“Danny, you’ve been working all day,” Stella said. She made her way to the table and picked up the case folder. “And this is a closed case. Is this what you’ve been so intent on?”

“Mac asked me to look at everything again,” Danny said. “So that’s what I’m doing.”

Stella frowned. “Did Mac take you off that little girl’s homicide for this?” she demanded slamming to folder down on the table. “That’s bull shit, Danny, and you know it.”

“You know what, Stella, I’m too tired to argue,” Danny sighed. “I tried and it didn’t work so I’m trying something new. Doing whatever the boss tells me without question and so far it’s great; he ain’t said a word to me all day.”

“That fight you had in the hall?” Stella asked. “Danny, why didn’t you tell him the details of your scene? You should have been left on it for no other reason than you did the initial investigation and know the scene. Yeah, pictures are good but they didn’t tell me everything.”

Danny made a note on the pad next to him. “I guess he just wanted someone he and trust working that case, Stella,” he said. “And I know you’ll catch the sick son of a bitch before he kills again. You’re smart and you know what you’re doing. Me, I’m only good enough to rerun evidence and get the same results I got the first time.” He sighed and gathered up his things. “I’ve got a hot date with AFIS. Have fun at supper, Stel, and tell Aiden I’ll catch up with her tomorrow.”

Stella watched her young friend go. She noticed that his shoulders were slumped and he wasn’t making eye contact with anyone. She frowned as she thought back to the fight she’d seen that morning in the hall.

**Flashback**

“Danny,” Mac called as he made his way down the stairs from his office. “The Fullbright case folder just landed on my desk. The DA says there are too many gaps in the evidence. Redo the investigation.”

“Mac, I just got back from a homicide,” Danny said. “Hawkes is waiting for me and I’ve got evidence to run. We gotta catch this guy…”

“Give it to Stella,” Mac interrupted firmly. “You were the lead on the Fullbright case so it’s your responsibility to make sure the evidence is conclusive before the case is closed.”

Danny ran a hand through his hair and pushed his glasses back up his nose. “That Fullbright character confessed before I was done with the evidence and the detective took everything to the DA,” he said. “I told them I wasn’t done but they didn’t listen to me. Shouldn’t be a big surprise, no one around here does.”

“And just what’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means that I’m trying to tell you that I really need to work this case I’m on now,” Danny said. “There’s a sick bastard out there, Mac, and I need to stop him before…”

“I said give it to Stella,” Mac snapped. “I will not have sloppy case work tainting this lab’s reputation.” He hit Danny in the chest with the brown folder he was holding. “Take care of this right now.”

“You know what, fine,” Danny snapped. He grabbed the folder before any paperwork could fall to the floor and made his way to the lab where Stella was working. He opened the door and leaned in. “Hey Stella, you’re taking over my homicide,” Danny said. “Lannie Wilkes is in the morgue; tell her parents I’m sorry.”

“Parents, why?” Stella asked.

“I promised them I’d get the bastard who took their baby away from them,” Danny said. “And now I can’t keep that promise because Mac just reassigned me.”

“Baby, Danny you don’t mean…?”

“Lannie was five, Stella,” Danny said. “My notes are in with the evidence and Hawkes can give you the details of what was done to her. I need to go cool off.”

**End Flashback**

Stella shook her head. She wasn’t sure exactly what was going on between Mac and Danny but she’d be damned if she let anyone hurt one of her friends. Stella’s eyes narrowed; Aiden was the perfect person to help her get to the bottom of the mystery. It looked like their girls’ night out just got a new agenda.

Mac’s POV

I can tell by the looks Stella keeps shooting at my office that she’s mad at me. I wonder for a moment if she knows something I don’t but brush it off as unimportant. I have to figure out a way to show and prove to Danny that I still trust him and want him as my student and friend.

And if I’m totally honest with myself I wouldn’t mind figuring out a way to get Danny in my bed too but I know I don’t have a chance in hell of that happening. And I’ve been advised to forget about it. Danny was so bitter when he told Flack he loved me I can’t help but wonder how much he’s hurting right now. To know that soon Don Flack is going to be in Danny’s bed as a lover slices through my heart. I hadn’t realized how deep my feelings for Danny were until I heard him talking with Flack and by then it was too late. I snorted and picked up a folder; it was too late the moment Sonny Sassone dropped Danny’s name like a bomb in the interrogation room. My determination to protect the lab came to the fore and I reacted.

I turn to my computer and start doing some research on the Tanglewood Boys and find a name that surprises me; Louie Messer. It takes me a few minutes to put the pieces together but Louie is Danny’s older brother and that would have been a perfect way for Sonny to find out about Danny. I wasn’t happy that Danny hadn’t told me everything about his personal connections to the Tanglewood Boys and now his spontaneous visit to my office makes more sense. He was there to figure out what I knew, what we had figured out. A part of me wants to believe he wanted to tell me how he feels. I recall the grin on his face when he asked if it was safe to come in and realize with a jolt that was the last time I’d seen him smile. Had I really done that much damage to him? I quickly run through the time since my interview with Sassone and I can’t remember another smile, a joke, anything but the slump-shouldered stony silence Danny had retreated in to.

Does my approval mean that much to Danny? He always gives me that crooked grin whenever I compliment him on his work like he’s happy I noticed but doesn’t want to be unprofessional about showing it. I always feel better when I see that grin and I miss it. I miss the happy Danny who made coming to the lab every day fun. He has so much energy and such a good sense of humor that he was able to help all of us keep from getting too bogged down in our cases. Is it possible that I’ve managed to destroy everything that makes Danny so essentially Danny by withdrawing from him?

I shake my head to clear it and pick up my coffee mug with a sigh. I still have two stacks of folders to review before I go home and it’s already after nine. Not that I sleep much these days anyway but it would be nice to get my thoughts off work and Danny for a while and come back to the problem with fresh eyes tomorrow.

A light in the otherwise dark labs catches my attention and I make my way towards the room that Danny and Aiden use as an office. Danny is asleep, his glasses pushing into his face, papers spread out around him. I put my mug down gently on the table and move over to see exactly what he’s working on; what’s kept him here so late.

My heart sinks when I see that every single piece of paper, every report is from the Fullbright case. Danny has reanalyzed every piece of evidence down to the soil in the suspect’s shoe and the control sample from the crime scene. He has redocumented everything and every single test matched the ones that he originally ran. He must have been in the process of rewriting his report when he fell asleep. I close my eyes for a moment; what has happened to me? What have I become?


	3. Chapter 3

Mac opened his eyes, perched carefully on the desk and leaned over to shake Danny shoulder gently. “Danny.”

“Five more minutes,” Danny muttered and Mac couldn’t help but smile. Danny must have been hard to get ready for school.

“Come on, Danny, it’s time to go home,” Mac said.

Beautiful blue eyes fluttered for a moment before Danny sat up so fast he almost fell over. “Mac, God I’m so sorry,” he said as he started to gather up the papers. “I’ve got my report done; just give me a minute to pick everything up.”

“Danny, it’s okay,” Mac said. “You can finish this tomorrow; go home and sleep. What time did you clock on this morning anyway?”

“Four but that don’t matter,” Danny said as he logged back onto the computer. “You said this needed to be fixed and I have to be the one to fix it.”

“Danny.” Mac turned the younger man in his chair so they were looking at each other. “It can wait; you need your sleep.” It pained Mac to say those words because he knew that Danny would be sleeping with Flack and he wanted the younger man with him. “I’m sorry, what was that?”

“I said I wish you’d make up your damn mind,” Danny said as he started to put papers away. “You pull me off a homicide, which is your right; you’re the boss and you’ve got to put the people you trust on the big cases but you made this sound like a big deal and now you’re telling me it can wait until morning? Does that mean someone else coulda fixed the paperwork, which is complete by the way, and I coulda stayed on my homicide?”

“You were the lead CSI for the case,” Mac said. “That means it’s your responsibility.”

“It’s a closed case with the suspect in jail,” Danny yelled. “We got his confession on tape; a few days wouldn’t hurt nothing. There’s a sick creep who raped and murdered a five-year-old girl and dumped her body in a dumpster. I spent seven hours at that crime scene making sure everything was done by the book so that when we got him there’d be no chance he’d walk. But you can’t have a Messer working a high profile case like that can you?” Danny added his completed report to the folder and shoved it into Mac’s hands. “There. It’s done and every single thing is exactly the same. Should I even bother showing up tomorrow, you just gonna find another excuse to keep me in the lab under your eye and thumb? ‘Cause I know what the real issue is here, Mac.”

“Danny,” Mac said trying to keep the pain out of his voice.

The younger CSI threw his jacket in the chair and pulled off his shirt. “There,” he snapped. “Is that good enough for you or should I get one of the lights so you can make sure I’ve never had laser surgery. Or maybe you’d like to get Hawkes to just burn my skin off to prove there ain’t no tattoo on my back and there never has been. Sonny Sassone hated that he’s never been able to control me and wants to screw up my life as much as possible. The Messer name is already mud with cops, why not here too/” Danny pulled his shirt and jacket back on. “Hell, why not just tell everyone in the lab that Danny can’t be trusted and to ignore him. Or here, I’ll save you the trouble.” Danny unclipped his badge and threw it at Mac, hitting him in the chest. “Next time follow the evidence.”  
********************

Mac sat stunned for a few minutes after Danny stormed out of the room. By wanting to save himself the pain of having to fire his student he’d destroyed Danny completely. But he’d be damned if he let their relationship end on such a sour note, let alone allowing Danny to just throw away his career like that. Mac grabbed Danny’s badge, clipped it on his belt next to his own where it would be safe, and went to get his coat. He knew where Danny was going and he was going to clear the air. And then if Danny still hated him he’d call Horatio down in Miami and see if he needed another CSI.

He’d never been to Don Flack’s apartment but Mac was able to get the address easily enough and checked out one of the department rigs. If he was lucky he’d be able to beat Danny there and they could talk without an audience.

When Don opened the door his blue eyes narrowed when he saw who was standing on the other side. “What the hell do you want?”

“Let me talk to Danny,” Mac said.

“He ain’t here,” Don said shortly. “It’s late, Mac, and I was on my way to bed.”

Mac looked up at Don meeting him glare for glare. “If you don’t let me in to see Danny he’s going to throw everything away over a stupid misunderstanding,” he said. Mac unclipped Danny’s badge and handed it to Don. “I want to be sure he has this for tomorrow.”

“So you can treat him like shit again?” Don demanded. He stepped back to let Mac into his apartment so they wouldn’t disturb the neighbors. “Danny worked his ass off this morning going over every inch of not only the crime scene where that little girl was dumped but her apartment and both parents’ cars. He told me he wanted an air-tight case so the suspect couldn’t walk and would never harm a child again. It tore him up, Mac, so I decided to come check on him because you know he ain’t exactly been himself lately and I find that you reassigned his case. Did you even think to ask him why he was so worked up when he got back to the lab or did you only care about yourself? I checked and even though the suspect in the Fullbright case confessed Danny still worked every piece of evidence and sent a separate report to the DA. The one you got back wasn’t even Danny’s; it was the detective’s and I’m planning to have a little chat with him tomorrow. You didn’t even bother checking it out did you? You just heard the words incomplete and sloppy work and assumed Danny didn’t do his job. Just like you assumed he got a Tanglewood tattoo on his back.”

“If you want me to admit I was wrong then I will,” Mac said, a little stunned at how angry Don was. “But let me be the one to tell Danny that, please? I need to talk with him, Flack. I need him to understand.”

“Understand what?”

“Damn it, Danny,” Don exclaimed. “I told you to stay in the bedroom and let me handle this.”

“I ain’t a kid that needs protecting, Don,” Danny said. He looked back at Mac. “Understand what? I think you’ve made yourself pretty clear these past few days, actions speak louder than words.”

“That’s true,” Mac said and was across the room before either of the younger men could react. He pushed Danny back up against the wall, tangled his fingers in the messy hair and claimed Danny’s mouth with his own. Mac’s tongue explored the younger man’s mouth as he pressed in against him, letting Danny feel his body’s reaction and was thrilled when Danny responded. He felt Danny’s eyelashes close and tilted his head for a deeper kiss when strong fingers wrapped around his wrist and pulled his arm down and back. Mac tried to fight but Don was too quick and had him cuffed and on the floor before Mac could respond.

“I should arrest you for assault,” Don snarled as he used his foot to pin Mac to the floor. “Danny, you okay?”

Danny sank to the floor, his back still against the wall. “I’m confused,” he admitted. “Why Mac?”

“I’ve been watching you all day, Danny, and I’ve seen things I don’t like,” Mac said. “You don’t smile anymore. You don’t make eye contact with anyone. The spring in your step is gone. And it’s all because of me. I made an assumption based on the information I had available at the time and realize my actions have been destroying you. My approval shouldn’t mean so much to you, Danny. I’m not worth it. The events at the lab today only proved that I’ve been wrong and I came to tell you that you can’t throw your career away over mistakes I’ve made. Don has your badge; no one knows you left it with me tonight. If you feel you can no longer work with me as your supervisor then I’ll leave.”

“Mac you can’t leave,” Danny said. “There’s no way in hell the lab’ll function without you there.”

“The lab is bigger than one supervisor, especially one his people can no longer trust,” Mac said. “And it seems that’s what has happened to me. I caught the looks Stella was giving me all day, you’re angry and have every right to be and it’s only a matter of time before something happens with Aiden. We were a family and I destroyed that.”

“No you didn’t, Mac,” Danny said. He crawled over to his boss. “Let him up, Donnie.”

“You sure, Dan?”

“Yeah.” Danny pulled Don down next to him and curled up in his arms. “So you was in the showers today too, Mac?”

Mac closed his eyes so he wouldn’t have to see Danny looking so happy in the arms of another man. “I followed Flack,” he admitted. “And overheard everything. I have no right to ask you to forgive me, Danny, but I don’t think I can stand it if you hate me.”

Don would have punched Mac if Danny hadn’t been so fast and pinned the younger man to the floor. “I don’t hate you, Mac,” Danny said. “I’ve never hated you. I’ve been mad at how you’ve been treating me but my own messed up feelings played into that.”

“Love is never messed up, Danny,” Mac said. “And you should take what Flack is offering and forget about me. If I did this to you once how can you be so sure I won’t do it again? You deserve to be happy and loved without having to worry that you’ll be hurt.”

“What about you, Mac?” Danny asked. “What do you want?” He looked around. “This is stupid; Don, uncuff him and let’s sit on the furniture like the adults we are.”

Don pulled out his keys and handed them to Danny. He got up and made his way into the kitchen without a word. Danny sighed and moved around behind his boss. “Jesus, Mac, your hands are purple,” Danny exclaimed. “Why didn’t you tell us the cuffs were too tight?” He undid them quickly and rubbed Mac’s hands to try and restore the circulation. “You’re going to have bruises tomorrow; Mac, why didn’t you say something?”

“No don’t roll me.” Mac cried out as his body was straightened. “Damn it!”

“Mac, what’s wrong?” Danny asked. “Flack, get in here, Mac’s hurt.”

“What?” Don asked as he reappeared. “What happened?”

“I don’t know,” Danny replied. “You put the cuffs on too tight but that shouldn’t have caused this much pain. Help me get his shirt off; Mac, what hurts?”

“I’ll be fine, just give me a minute,” Mac replied through his teeth. “And I’ll be out of your way. It doesn’t matter what I want, Danny, because I’ve destroyed everything I love.”

“You ain’t going nowhere until you tell me what’s wrong,” Danny insisted. “And what you mean by that.”

“My head and ribs,” Mac said. “I felt my ribs crack when I landed and I hit my head.”

“He’s right, Danny, look at this.” Don turned Mac’s head carefully to show the darkening bruise. “Do we need to take you to the doctor, Mac?”

“I told you I’ll be fine,” Mac said. “Just help me up and let me catch my breath for a minute.”

Danny and Don lifted Mac up and settled him on the sofa with a pillow under his side for extra support. “I’m sorry, Mac,” Don said. “I shouldn’t have thrown you like that.”

“You were protecting Danny which is more than I can do,” Mac said. “He needs you, Don.”

Danny came back into the room. “Open your mouth, Mac,” he said. He placed two pills under Mac’s tongue. “Now drink.”

“Looks like he needs you too,” Don commented. “You want an ice pack or something?”

“I just want to go home,” Mac said.

“It ain’t gonna happen.” Danny perched on the coffee table and looked at his boss. “I want to know what you meant by that crack. That kiss you gave me proves you got feelings for me, Mac. And those were codeine I gave you so you ain’t going nowhere tonight.”

Mac closed his eyes. “Claire and I had a fight about how much time I was spending at the lab,” he said softly. “I was in the middle of an intense homicide investigation and trying to train someone at the same time. I spent the night at the office after I stormed out of the apartment. While I was working on my computer the next day the first calls started to come in that a plane hit the Towers. I called home but she wasn’t there. The last thing I said to my wife was that she didn’t understand. And now I’ve done the same thing to you, Danny. I hurt you and pushed you away when all I want to do is hold you and never let you go.”

Danny and Don stared at Mac in shock. Neither of them had known how much guilt and pain he’d been carrying around for years. It was no wonder he never slept and threw himself into his work.

“The pills shouldn’t have worked that fast,” Don commented as he covered Mac with a blanket.

“He probably hasn’t eaten all day,” Danny replied. He followed Don to the bedroom. “I’m so confused, Donnie. I love him so much and he’s at least interested in me but I have such deep feelings for you too. I don’t know what to do.”

“So we sleep on it.” He pulled Danny in against him as they curled up under the blankets. “Things will look better in the morning.”


	4. Chapter 4

It wasn’t hard for Mac to pretend to be asleep and he waited an hour to make sure that Danny and Don were both asleep before he moved. It had hurt him more than he wanted to admit to see Danny walk down the hall with Don but it was for the best. He finally sat up, wincing as his ribs protested but he kept moving. Mac quickly scribbled out a note and left the apartment as quietly as he could. The last thing he wanted was for Danny or Don to come chasing after him.

He made his way back to the department and checked in the rig before heading home for the night. Mac was tired and his ribs were throbbing and all he wanted was his bed and a few hours of uninterrupted sleep.

“Horatio,” Mac said when he found his friend on the couch in his living room. “H, what are you doing here?”

“Mac, are you okay?” Horatio asked. He put down the magazine he was reading and caught Mac around the waist as his friend stumbled.

“Bed,” Mac murmured, the drugs in his system making themselves known. “I need to sleep.”

“Do I need to process you?” Horatio put him in the middle of the bed and started to undress his friend. “Do I need to call anyone to make a report?”

“No,” Mac said. “Danny and Don. Misunderstanding. Stay with me tonight, H?”

The red head paused and looked at his friend closely. “Where are you hurt, Mac?”

“Head, ribs, wrists, heart,” Mac said. 

“Do you need to go to the doctor?”

“Broken heart,” Mac managed to say. “Please stay with me, Horatio. Make me feel loved if only for tonight.”

Horatio sighed and started to strip. “You are loved, Mac,” he said. He joined his friend in the bed and let Mac arrange himself against him before putting an arm around his waist. “And if you want to come to Miami to heal then you have a home there.” He kissed Mac on the head. “Sleep; I’ll be here when you wake up and we can talk then.”  
********************

When Mac woke up the next morning he felt safe and warm for all of a minute before the events of the day before came crashing back down on him along with the blinding pain in his ribs. The warmth next to him vanished only to return with an ice pack. “We should have gone to the hospital last night.”

“Horatio, what exactly are you doing here?” Mac asked. “You never did tell me last night.”

“I was concerned,” Horatio replied. “You sounded so upset I wanted to make sure you didn’t do anything stupid.”

“You mean like pinning Danny to the wall and kissing him?” Mac groaned. “Gods, H, he’s gonna hate me. I’ve never run from a problem in my life but I want to leave the city for a while.”

“Come home with me, Mac,” Horatio said. “I meant what I said last night.”

Mac shook his head. “You shouldn’t love me, Horatio,” he said. “I’m poison.”

“No you’re not, Mac,” Horatio said softly. “No you’re not. You’re a man who has made some mistakes and needs time to recover from them. Come home with me and let the sun help you heal and then you can make a decision when your heart isn’t so tied up in what’s happening, okay?”

“Okay, H; will you call Stella and let her know I’m taking three weeks off?” Mac asked. “Tell her its two weeks vacation and one for sick leave. I’d like to see your house.”

“What about Danny?” Horatio asked. “I know how much you love him, Mac.”

“He has Don,” Mac replied. “They’re perfect together, Horatio. I saw that much last night. Danny needs to forget about me and move on.”

Horatio smiled sadly. “Will you give me a chance to prove that you deserve to be loved, Mac?” he asked. “To show you that you’re not broken?”

“I don’t deserve it.”

“Yes you do,” Horatio said. He took Mac’s hand in his own. “You just don’t see it right now. Come on, let’s get you cleaned up and we can leave. I’ve got a couple weeks of vacation I can use and we can just lay around the house and do nothing.”

“That sounds lovely,” Mac said. “Thanks, Horatio.”

“That’s what friends are for,” Horatio said. He kissed Mac’s forehead softly. “That’s what friends are for.”  
********************

Danny woke up first and was confused for a moment before he remembered that he was at Don’s place and in his bed. He stretched, feeling more relaxed than he had in a long time and rolled over to study his friend’s sleeping face. Don was handsome; his face relaxed and almost childlike in sleep and Danny could picture waking up next to him for a long time to come, maybe even forever if Don wanted.

“Mac,” Danny gasped sitting up quickly. He slipped on his slacks and hurried to the living room to check on his injured supervisor, cursing himself for forgetting that Mac had been hurt the night before and was on the couch. “Damn.”

The sofa was empty, the blanket folded neatly with a note on top of it. Danny sank down onto the cold cushions and picked up the folded piece of paper that had his name on it.

Danny,  
By the time you find this I’ll be gone. Take what Flack is offering you and don’t look back. You have great instincts and are a wonderful CSI. Don’t listen to what I’ve said or done these past weeks. Don’t throw your life away because a bitter man was too stupid to follow his own advice. And don’t come looking for me. I want you to be happy, Danny, and I want you to live. That’s what will make me happy. I won’t lie and say I don’t love you because I do but it’s not a healthy love, not something we could make last. Don’s is and that’s what you deserve, Danny. You deserve to be loved because you’re someone special and Don knows that. He’s perfect for you; I could see it in his eyes last night when you were in his arms. That love is forever. Don’t be stupid and throw it away to come looking for me. You need to do what’s right for you and I have to do what’s right for me. Just trust that I’m as happy as I ever am and live your life to the fullest.  
Mac

“Dan?”

“He’s gone, Donnie,” Danny said wiping the tears out of his eyes. “Mac’s gone.”

“So you’ll see him at the lab later,” Don said pulling Danny into a hug.

“No, Don, look.” Danny handed him the note. “He’s gone for good and I never got to tell him good-bye.”

Don looked down at his lover. “Do you want to find him?” he asked. “Because I’m sure we can trace him and go talk with him.”

“Do you think we should?” Danny looked over at Don.

“Truthfully I’m so mad at him right now that I’d probably say or do something like I did last night,” Don admitted. “But if it’s what you want then I’ll help.”

“He says I shouldn’t,” Danny said. “He says to stay with you and be happy.”

“Will you?”

“I love you, Don,” Danny said kissing the other man. “But I’d like to at least be able to tell Mac good-bye and wish him good luck.”

“Then we’ll find him, Danny,” Don said. “We’ll start when we get to work today.”


	5. Chapter 5

It took Danny and Don close to a year to figure out where Mac went. Stella took over as lab supervisor and by the time anyone realized that Mac wasn’t coming back from his vacation it was too late to try and track him. If he’d bought an airplane ticket it had been in cash and he’s paid to have his apartment packed up and shipped somewhere undisclosed. And if he was still working as a CSI he wasn’t showing up on the radar at any conventions or seminars.

So it was totally by chance that Danny and Don decided to take a couple extra days when they went to a convention in Miami to spend on the beach and just enjoy the time they had to themselves where they didn’t have to hide their relationship.

“Detectives,” a deep voice said from behind them as they were coming out of a restaurant.

“Lieutenant Caine,” Danny said with a smile. “How have you been?”

“I’ve been good, Danny,” Horatio replied. “What about you?”

“Great. Oh, this is Don Flack,” Danny said. “Donnie, this is Lieutenant Horatio Caine. He’s a CSI here in Miami.”

Don frowned. “And a friend of Mac’s,” he said. “Do you know where he is, Lieutenant?”

“And if I did?” Horatio took off his sunglasses and stared at the New York detective.

“Danny just wants to make sure he’s okay,” Don said. “Mac just vanished without warning and we’re worried about him.”

“Even though you broke his ribs and his heart?” Horatio asked.

“You do know where he is,” Danny replied. “Lieutenant, please. I just want to tell him good-bye; let him know I took his advice.”

Horatio’s blue eyes studied the pair for a moment. “Meet me at this address tomorrow for breakfast,” he said. “Have a good evening.” He slipped his sunglasses back on and all but melted into the crowd.  
********************

Horatio let himself into the house he shared with his lover of six months and went looking for Mac. The other man had come a long way since leaving New York, talking with a councilor about not only what happened with Danny but working slowly through the guilt he’d harbored in his heart over Claire and her death. He wasn’t ready to return to work as a CSI but Mac was starting to research forensic techniques and was quickly becoming a favorite at the Miami crime lab where he was always willing to answer questions.

“Mac,” Horatio said softly when he found his lover on the beach behind their house. “Hey Mac, I’m home.”

“Is Miami still standing?” Mac asked with a smile.

“For another night,” Horatio replied. “Mac, I saw Danny and Don a bit ago; they’re in town and want to see you. Danny, apparently, is as sharp as ever.”

Mac slipped off his sunglasses and looked at his lover. “What did you tell them?”

“To meet me for breakfast,” Horatio said. He slipped into the chair next to Mac and wrapped him in a hug. “I didn’t tell them you were here or that you’d be at breakfast tomorrow. I wanted to leave the choice up to you.”

“What do I say to him, Horatio?” Mac asked.

“He said he wants to tell you good-bye,” Horatio replied. “It sounds like he’s moved on with Don like you wanted him to and is happy. Think about it, Mac; you don’t have to do anything.”

“Yeah I do,” Mac said. “It’s the only way to really move past all this isn’t it?”

“Yeah,” Horatio said softly. He pushed up on an elbow and leaned down to claim Mac’s mouth with his own, tongue pushing in to taste his lover. “You bought mint ice cream today,” he said, blue eyes twinkling.

“I was going to tell you,” Mac insisted with a grin pulling Horatio down for another kiss. “What time are we meeting them tomorrow?”

“Around eight,” Horatio said. “Which means we have plenty of time to play.”

“I like how you think,” Mac purred, arching up against his lover. “I love you, Horatio.”

“I love you too, Mac,” Horatio replied.  
********************

Don watched his lover pace around their hotel room. “Dan, you’re making me dizzy,” he finally said. “It’ll be okay.”

“What do I say to him, Don?” Danny asked as he flopped down next to the other man. “It’s been a year and things were so messed up the last time I saw him.”

“I’d start with hi and go from there,” Don replied. “He’s gonna be as nervous as you are and I don’t think having the lieutenant there is going to help anything. I’ve never met anyone that intense and that includes Mac.”

“I shoulda known that Mac would call Horatio for help,” Danny said. “They hit it off when Horatio came up to work the Hanover case and have kept in touch. I hope Horatio was able to help Mac come to terms with his life.”

“He probably has,” Don said. “We won’t know until tomorrow so why don’t we get some sleep.”

Danny tried to stand up to start pacing. “I don’t know that I can sleep, Donnie.”

“Then I’ll just have to wear you out,” Don said. “Come on, let’s go to bed.”  
********************

It wasn’t something they did often but Horatio and Mac put on their simple white gold bands before they left the house the next morning, both men needing to feel the connection between them. Mac fidgeted the entire way into town. Horatio just rolled his eyes and commented that the other man was spending way too much time around Speed.

The beach front restaurant Horatio had chosen was small and not well known so they were some of the first customers to arrive that morning. Horatio was facing his lover and knew the exact moment Danny and Don arrived because Mac’s face froze and he looked ready to bolt.

“I’m here, love,” Horatio said softly. “I’ve got you now and forever.”

“Hey Mac,” Danny said.

“Danny,” Mac replied, his face guarded. “What brings you and Don to Miami?”

“A convention and we decided we wanted to spend a couple of days just being a couple,” Danny said. “Mac, I was worried about you; we’ve spent the past year looking for you.”

Mac sighed and looked down at his hands. “I told you to forget me, Danny,” he finally said. “I was damaged and I was hurting those around me. Horatio saved me and has been helping me recover.”

“You’re my friend, Mac, and I ain’t gonna just forget a friend,” Danny said. “But I took your advice.”

“That’s good, Danny,” Mac said. “I’m happy for you.”

Horatio leaned back in his chair and slipped off his sunglasses. He was aware that life could take some weird twists and turns but he also knew that everyone ended up where they were destined to be. It could just take time and pain but everything happened for a reason and he saw it on a daily basis.


End file.
